CCP
Nebraska Done with Matching Funds
By Sarah LeeIt nearly went unnoticed but a court in Nebraska has decided to follow the Supreme Court’s ruling in Arizona Free Enterprise Club v. Bennett, a decision that was greeted with horror by reformers in 2011 because it declared “the use of ‘matching funds,’ whereby a privately-financed candidate for political office would be forced to trigger state-granted matching funds for any publicly-funded opponent if he or she spent above a certain threshold, [to be] an unconstitutional demand on a candidate whose speech would be chilled by the mandate.”
Independent groups
The Hill: Press corps presses the White House on super-PAC cancer ad
By Jonathan EasleyThe White House press corps turned up the heat over a controversial ad from a super-PAC supporting President Obama on Friday, pressuring White House spokesman Jay Carney for answers on the president’s view of the ad.
NY Times (blog): Criticized ‘Super PAC’ Ad Has Yet to Be Broadcast as a Paid Commercial
By JEREMY W. PETERS and MICHAEL D. SHEAROne place it apparently has not appeared? During a commercial break.
BuzzFeed: Leading LGBT Group Formed “Dark Money” Group To Oppose Gambling Effort
By Chris GeidnerThe National Gay & Lesbian Task Force structured an anti-gambling campaign in Maryland so it wouldn’t have to disclose which donors are underwriting the effort.
Wall Street Journal: Throwing Mud in an Already Nasty Campaign
By Danny YadronPrior Democratic ads had asserted that workers lost their jobs due to investment decisions made by Bain Capital, the private-equity firm Mr. Romney once led. The new ad went further, asserting that Mr. Romney’s business dealings contributed to a woman’s death. In the spot, Joe Soptic, 62 years old, says he lost his job and health insurance at GST Steel of Kansas City, co-owned by Bain. “A short time after that, my wife became ill,” he says.
Washington Post: Sen. Sherrod Brown targeted by U.S. Chamber, outside conservative groups
By Paul KaneIn the battle for control of the Senate, no race has received as much financial attention as the reelection bid of Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, with outside conservative groups working together to pour tens of millions of dollars into Ohio’s airwaves to try to unseat him.
Disclosure
Roll Call: FCC Database Creates Headaches for TV Stations in Battlegrounds
By Rebecca ShabadA Federal Communications Commission plan to make television stations disclose how many political ads they have sold is creating administrative headaches for network affiliates in battleground states that deal with a dozen or more campaigns or political groups in a single market.
Star Tribune: Top state court rules campaign finance laws apply to schools b
By JENNIFER BROOKSThe unanimous ruling left school districts in a quandary. They’re required to provide the public with information about ballot questions, like how much it would cost taxpayers and what the money would be used for. But districts don’t have the authority to promote or advocate for ballot issues — and filing a campaign finance report would be a sign that they’ve crossed the line to do just that.
Candidates and parties
NY Times: ‘Independent’ Super PACs
By ANDREW ROSENTHALIn discussing a pro-Obama super PAC’s latest ad, which implies that Mitt Romney’s to blame for a woman’s death from cancer, she said reporters had failed to note possible coordination between the Obama campaign and the super PAC. “They’re basically prostituting themselves for a job, for interview, for access to the Obama administration and the campaign. And they’re letting this go on, and it is illegal. It violates the PAC laws. What I would like to see happen is for just one reporter in the mainstream media who knows the truth about this to stand up and do the worthy and ethical thing and let Americans that there was collaboration and also that this is a far-fetched, despicable ad that misrepresents Gov. Romney’s position.”
Washington Post: What Paul Ryan’s VP pick means for his House seat
By Sean SullivanMitt Romney’s decision to select Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his vice presidential running mate raises the question of what happens in the Badger State’s 1st District, where Ryan is favored to win reelection in the fall. According to state election law, Ryan would not have to sacrifice his spot on the congressional ballot even though he is also running for vice president. He would appear on the ballot twice.
Washington Post: Franking ‘blackout’ begins, 90 days from Election Day
By Emily HeilWednesday marks the beginning of the general-election “franking blackout” that starts 90 days before Election Day. That’s the period under federal election law during which congressional offices can’t send out “franked” mass communications. Translation: lawmakers can’t send out unsolicited communications — like postcards or e-mails — to more than 499 people.
USA Today: Romney ad: Obama ‘will say anything’ to keep power
By Catalina Camia“What does it say about a president’s character when his campaign tries to use the tragedy of a woman’s death for political gain?” the narrator asks in the Romney ad released today. “Doesn’t America deserve better than a president who will say or do anything to stay in power?
